NAMIBIAN Helalia Johannes (Nedbank International) ran an incredible race in Durban on Sunday to win the SPAR Women’s 10km Challenge in 30 minutes 59 seconds, the fastest time over this distance ever recorded in Africa.
In doing so she also smashed the Namibian record for the third time in a matter of two months leaving junior international runner, 19-year-old Tadu Teshame (Ethiopia, Nedbank International), over one-and-a-half minutes in her wake in 32:36 with former winner Irvette van Zyl (Nedbank) in third place a further 21 seconds adrift in 32:57.
Johannes added the Durban Challenge to the first two in the series of six races making up the SPAR Grand Prix, those in Port Elizabeth (4 May) and Cape Town (29 May), smashing the course records for these and also for the Durban Challenge course record of 31:38 that was set in 2000 by Colleen de Reuk.
Johannes appeared to enjoy her entourage of motorcyclists from the Steelwings Club on their Harley Davidsons ensuring her a safe passage throughout the 30th anniversary of the race and which carried a prize purse this year of R30 000 to commemorate it.
Johannes said afterwards that she had revelled in the perfect conditions that prevailed over the fast, flat 10km course and that she was happy to have done a personal best time.
A whooping R30 000 was raised for the race charity, Cancer Association.
